Kingsland Drinks launches new sustainability strategy

Kingsland Drinks Group (KDG) has announced the launch of an updated and upweighted sustainability strategy, titled Thirsty Earth.

The company, which has become an employee-owned business in July this year, said the programme will drive the firm’s sustainability agenda and will be integral in achieving its business goals.

The initiatives as part of the programme will be announced in early 2022, but the company said they will be centred on the three core pillars: Society, which focuses on charity, wellbeing, inclusion, and equality; Environment, which looks at energy and emissions, waste, renewable energy, recycling and reuse, and Economy, which includes responsible sourcing and ongoing investment.

The group plans to register a charity, the Thirsty Earth Foundation, to raise awareness and funds to invest in initiatives.

Thirsty Earth activity will include a series of long-term projects linked to the UN’s sustainable development goals, each with clear and measurable targets to safeguard society, the environment, and the economic health of the industry in which it works.

“We have always strived as a business to take the lead with a fresh approach in the drinks industry. As we have global reach with partner producers, suppliers, and customers all over the world, it is imperative we continuously improve our sustainability footprint both in our community and in the drinks industry as a whole,” Andy Sagar, executive chairman of Kingsland Drinks Group, commented.

“Thirsty Earth will be crucial to how we meet the UN’s sustainable development goals, but it also encapsulates the vision and realisation of what we’ve been working towards for a long time. It’s vital we do not negatively impact current or future generations, and instead become a force for positive change and our mantra – a better society and drinks industry for all, now and in the future – is at the heart of every decision we make.”

In recent months, the firm has actively backed brands that are working towards a more positive industry and protecting the planet such as The Hidden Sea, which Kingsland Drinks manages for the UK on and off trade market. The Australian wine brand removes plastic from the world’s oceans with the bold aim of removing one billion plastic bottles by 2030.

The firm has also established the conscious premium drinks company Ten Locks, with Becky Davies leading the curation and development of a portfolio of purpose-led spirits brands striving for positive change.

Kingsland Drinks Group added that it was the first company to import wine into the UK in bulk, and utilise flexi-containers, a method that is now industry standard. It was also the first business to utilise inland waterways to transport bulk wine from port to site, saving large amounts of carbon and reducing road miles.

With over 120 million litres packed last year alone, this results in an enormous carbon saving on bottled at source products, removing the need to transport glass and other packaging materials around the world.